Why You Wanna? (Aka 11 Steps to True Love, Kakashi Style!)
by whatsupalanah
Summary: Kakashi, admittedly, got a little too invested, but when it comes to gay love and star crossed lovers, who is he, to not get involved?
1. A scheme, my friends

Hey Y'all!

Here it is, the first chapter of my first multi-chapter fic! This is an itasaku humor fic. there _are_ mentions of mutual infidelity. also there will be smut in this fic, eventually. This fic is called why you wanna because, the song why you wanna by T.I inspired me! when i first started this it was gonna be kakasaku which is why his character ended up being so prevalent throughout this fic! idk when sasuke and itachi stole the show but they did a great job of it!

there's going to be so much OOCness, for the sake of humor and brevity. this fic isn't supposed to be super long, nor super serious. there will be a few moments of deep thought and moral questioning, but over all, this fic isn't serious. I'm having a great deal of fun writing this, so I hope you all will enjoy reading it!

Please Enjoy: Why You Wanna (AKA Kakashi's 11 Step to True Love!)

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Peering over the blueberry smoothie he was currently ingesting, Kakashi watched with thinly veiled interest as two of his former students struggled to remain blush free. Sasuke was holding Sakura's hand as though it were an old, dead fish, and not the hand of a girl he supposedly adored. Sakura had a pineapple smoothie grasped tight in her free hand, and she was smiling a bit too wide for it to be comfortable, while discussing something with Sai.

They were all out, and although it should've been a day for the team to practice, Yamato and Kakashi had agree to take everyone out for cool treats, seeing as it was the hottest day of the year so far. The cool, fruity treats were a far cry from the ramen Naruto begged for, or the anko dumplings Sakura adored so much, but the younger crowd seemed to enjoy them nonetheless. Even Sasuke, who didn't particularly care for sweets had gotten a Kale smoothie, something that Naruto kept griping about. Sakura had long since tuned the two young men out, instead talking to Sai about his upcoming date with a nice civilian girl. Sai had dated the hot-headed blonde that Sakura called her best friend, but Ino's fiery personality had burned far too bright for someone like Sai, and they had split things off on good terms. Unfortunately for literally everyone in Konaha, Sakura and Sasuke hadn't taken a leaf out of their books, and chose to stay together.

Normally, Kakashi was completely impartial to the romantic inner-workings of the Konaha 12 & Co, but something about Sakura and Sasuke's relationship rubbed him the wrong way. Maybe it was because Sasuke had mentally and physically abused Naruto and Sakura for years, scarring them in a way that made their old teachers blood boil. Maybe it was the fact that there were a million other men (not boys) who could make Sakura happy, and not act like she was an unpleasant disease they were being forced to endure. Maybe it was the particularly helpless look in Sakura's eyes when Sasuke moved to do anything intimate with her, her perhaps it was none of those things. Most likely, it was because the older man was privy to other information.

Kakashi couldn't pinpoint the exact moment in time he'd realized that Konaha's Cherry Blossom was not the woman for Sasuke, but at this exact moment in time, it had mounted to a burning need to separate them, and as he observed the embarrassingly lackluster relationship she was currently in, he decided it was time for a change.

Possibly of his pants, he thought, as Sakura enthusiastically sucked on the sweet, cool drink. She'd dropped Sasuke's hand in favor of gesticulating wildly as she described something funny that had happened to her in the Hokage's office. Naruto was watching her with rapt attention, Yamato had a fond sort of look on his face as he listened to her story. Sai was drawing something, possibly her, with the way he kept sneaking glances at her every few moments. Indeed, Sakura could probably pluck any unsuspecting Nin off the street, and he would gladly date her, and lavish her with endless love and affection, but instead she chose to date Sasuke.

Why exactly she'd agreed to date him, was completely beyond Kakashi. Sakura had stopped having feelings for the youngest Uchiha long before he came home, dragging his bedraggled, apparently innocent older brother home. It had been a massive shock to the village when Tsunade had revealed the truth of the Uchiha massacre to them. Naruto and the rest of the members of Team Kakashi were the first to accept the brother duo back into the arms of the village. Sakura had spent months with Sasuke and Itachi, sitting in personally on their counseling and healings, healing both of their eyes herself. Naruto had pushed for Sasuke to be promoted to Jonin with him and Sakura, and after a lot of wheedling, Tsunade had agreed. Yamato and Kakashi, as well as Sai, had taken to dropping by the Uchiha grounds, spending time with Itachi. Although Kakashi hadn't seen the younger man for years, it was easy for the two of them to speak, even with their past to haunt them. Itachi apologized for using the Mangekyo on Kakashi, and Kakashi had smiled, before apologized for failing to keep Sasuke safe.

However, Sakura had truly left a stamp on the brothers, her gentle hands and soothing, dulcet voice had been necessary to their mental healing.

In the six months it took to heal their eyes, Sakura spent the most time with Itachi, who found her to be interesting, to say the least. Almost immediately after, Kakashi observed a strange, inner family battle. Sasuke asked Sakura out on a date, and Sakura had (according to gossip) told him to fuck off, before marching away and avoiding either brother for two weeks. Sasuke was indifferent, and Itachi didn't leave the compound. Finally, Sakura agreed to go on a date with Sasuke, and for the past three weeks, the two of them had been about as together as they could be, seeing as they couldn't stand to touch each other, or speak romantically to each other. Itachi had been silent on the matter, and Kakashi watched the oldest Uchiha out of the corner of his eye, for even the slightest discomfort.

Itachi showed nothing, and Kakashi sighed, setting down his blueberry drink. Itachi had been sitting next to him, sipping calmly on his cherry slush type drink, his eyes trained on Sakura the entire time. Sasuke, in turn, was glaring at Itachi with such open anger, that Kakashi was genuinely surprised that Sakura hadn't knocked him out yet. She was ignoring both of the brothers, had made a point to do so, it seemed. Sasuke went to break his glare with Itachi, and when his eyes landed on Kakashi's, he flushed.

"Sakura." Sasuke's voice had grown much deeper in the past years, but it was gruffer than his older brothers, and it fit him, he had never been as silky and refined as Itachi. Sakura paused her conversation, and turned to him, her face taking on a look of annoyance.

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" Sasuke stood, holding a hand out for her. She didn't take it, but she did stand up swiftly, her face pink with displeasure. Itachi tensed next to Kakashi, but he remained stationary, watching the two walk away. His face didn't give away if he was at interested, but Kakashi was undeterred.

"So, Itachi-kun. How long have you had a crush on Sakura-chan?" Yamato choked on the strawberry smoothie he was slurping on, spluttering at Kakashi for being rude. Sai made an interested noise, and Naruto gave a loud, rather obnoxious 'NANI?' Kakashi shushed them, turning to face the oldest living Uchiha. Itachi's Sharingan was spinning lazily, but Kakashi merely smiled at him, his fear quelled by the fact that Sakura knew when the brothers activated their Sharingan. She would've undoubtedly appeared if Itachi meant to hurt her old Sensei. Instead, a strange shock seemed to pulse through Itachi, and his eyes glowed green for a split second, before fading to their usual liquid like black. He sighed, before taking another sip of the drink he clutched in his hands. Kakashi had wondered what sort of jutsu Sakura had used on the two of them. It seemed harmless, as though her healing chakra set in immediately to heal the damage their eyes caused, but it seemed that anytime this jutsu was triggered aggressively, it would tug on her chakra, alerting her to violence, or malcontent.

"Since our third healing session." Naruto's face paled, and even Sai gasped, while Yamato sighed out heavily.

"Seriously? Dude, no disrespect intended, but why are you sitting idly by as she dates that lame-ass?" Naruto didn't seem to be very fond of Sasuke at the moment, possibly because he wanted to date one of them, or perhaps because Sasuke seemed to be sucking Sakura's soul out with every uncomfortable touch. Sakura was wilting faster than the cherry blossom trees after their brief stint during the spring, and it was nearly unbearable for the men of team 7/team Kakashi.

"He is my younger brother. I wish him only happiness." Naruto groaned and Yamato shook his head silently. Kakashi clapped Itachi on the back, a smile growing underneath his mask.

"Well, there's good news yet, sweet 'Tachi-kun." Itachi cringed and moved away from the older mans grasp.

"Because unlike you, we don't care particularly, if Sasuke is happy. But we _do_ care about Haruno Sakura, our little Cherry Blossom." Sai nodded his consent to that, Naruto and Yamato following his actions. Itachi took a long draw of his slushie, a singular eyebrow raised, as though letting Kakashi know that he could continue.

"We all know that Sakura is miserable with Sasuke. We can only imagine the reason she accepted his proposal, maybe it was pity? I mean, personally, I would pity him solely based on the fact that he had to deal with that red-haired nympho the whole time he was chasing after you. I think it's deeper than that though, don't you Yamato-kun?" Yamato winced as his Senpai cooed at him, attempting to coax a reaction from him.

"Ah, yes, actually." Naruto was nodding vigorously again, and Sai's face was impassive as always. Itachi's other eyebrow joined it's twin, before gesturing silently with a slight tilt to his head.

"Sakura has a crush on you!" Kakashi rolled his visible eye, glaring at Naruto for ruining his dramatic effect. Naruto shrank back, whimpering a little at the look he received.

"What's your point, team 7?" He addressed them as a whole, because he understood that they were all in on this. Surprisingly, it was Sai who answered.

"Sakura has feelings for you, and has had them, perhaps as long as you've cared for her. However, due to Sasuke natural inclination to best you, he recognized this mutual attraction between you two as a threat, and asked her to be his first." Itachi nodded his agreement, before actually speaking something of substance.

"Yes, that does appear to be the case with my brother and Sakura-san; however, it is not of my concern to split them up. If Sasuke believes he can truly make Sakura happier than I, then I will not question his judgment." Naruto bounced his head off the wooden picnic table, and Sai let out a gusty breath, opening a book, as though to research how to respond to someone as socially illiterate as he.

"For a genius, you sure are stupid, Uchiha." Every one of the men turned their heads towards the end of the table so fast that Yamanaka Ino was positive she would need to treat them for whiplash. Naruto visibly cringed back into Sai, who was scrambling away from the blonde beauty who had (in his eyes) held him captive for months, before releasing him from the torturous binds she'd held him in. Yamato shoved Sai away from him, and Naruto collapsed forwards under the other males weight. Ino rolled her eyes, before straddling the bench that Kakashi and Itachi were sharing, but only after wedging herself between the two of them. She faced Itachi, balancing herself on her hands, propped on the bench between her legs. She pushed her breasts up with the motion, and Naruto's mouth fell open, while Sai's thinned to almost nonexistence, his ex-girlfriends blatant flirting was touching a strange spot in him, a hot feeling growing over his body.

"'Tachi-kuuuuun, surely you don't think that Sasuke-kun makes Saku-chan happy, right?" She batted her eyelashes at him, before very purposefully gripping his wrist, and drawing his drink towards her. She wrapped her pink mouth around the clear straw, and gave a long, languid suck.

Several things happened all at once, the first being that Sai stood up quickly, as though to stop the absurd show Ino was putting on. Kakashi deftly reached over to push the younger man down, while pulling at the collar of Ino's shirt. Haruno Sakura, however, truly made the scene, an infuriated screech sounding from her mouth as she appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to tackle her self declared best friend off the bench. Ino didn't even make a sound of surprise, which alerted the males in the vicinity to the fact that they'd all been tricked, Sakura worst of all, but the tearing sound that Ino's shirt made was far to distracting for them to focus on that. Sakura and Ino were rolling around now, and there was a lot of huffing and gasping, as well as some well aimed jabs. Naruto's mouth was wide open, blood gushing furiously from his nose as he watched two of the hottest Kunoichi's in all five nations, wrestle in the dirt. Sakura came out on top, her knees pinning the other girls elbows, her hand around the girls throat. Ino was the picture of calm, staring up at Sakura, who's face was flushed, her breathing heavy.

"Stop it Ino. Itachi is _not your plaything!"_ She was yelling towards the end, shaking the other girl, as though her anger was still not under control.

"You can't just toy with everyone! Not with my boys, I'll kill you first. Apologize to Sai and Itachi-san, and then _leave."_ Sakura was seething, her grip on her friends throat was just tight enough that Ino's breathing was labored, her eyes wide as her best friend threatened her life. She gasped out an apology, and Sakura dismounted her, before lending her friend a hand up.

"Now, lets go have a talk about _boundaries_ , shall we, Ino-pig?" Ino hoisted herself up, before knocking Sakura upside the head lightly.

"Bitch."

"Pig!" The girls laced fingers, tossing lazy farewells over their shoulder. Sakura chattered along to Ino, who, unbeknownst to her friend, turned around to wink at the table of shell shocked men.

"Sakura- _chan."_ Naruto sounded so in awe of her that all the men just sort of nodded along with his declaration.

"She's definitely got wet panties for Itachi, that much is obvious." Sai was sketching furiously, and Naruto blushed a violent red at his friends crude words. Even Itachi had a dusting of pink across his nose, something that Kakashi thought was rather cute, boy or not.

"Honestly, what I wouldn't give for that Hag to be so passionate for me, or hell, even Naruto. Imagine burying your face between her thi-" Kakashi cleared his throat loudly, fixing Sai with a look that indicated he shouldn't get off topic. Itachi shifted, looking forlornly at the drink that had been knocked out of his hand in the midst of Sakura's rather impressive tackle. Yamato had another one in the younger mans hands before he had a chance to mention that he'd wanted to finish that damn thing, and he began sipping it again, while the other men studied him.

"So it's decided then! We'll do a ten step program of sorts, and break things off with Sasuke and Sakura, ensure your relationship, and Sasuke's happiness!" Kakashi clapped, rubbing his hands together, a hidden smile appearing on his lips.

"How do we guarantee that?" Kakashi seemed to ponder, before a serene look came over his face.

"Other than Sakura, has Sasuke ever shown interest in any other girl?" Even Itachi had trouble wracking his mind, knowing that although Karin was infatuated with his brother, even now, that Sasuke was pretty indifferent towards her, and all women.

"Now that you've pondered it, I do believe that Sasuke loves someone." At that, he looked pointedly at Naruto, causing Yamato's mouth to fall open, Sai to flush, and Itachi to give Naruto a calculated, interested look.

"Hn, so my brother has the hots for a boy, what's your point?" Naruto was so red that it was hard to imagine that there was blood anywhere else in his body, besides his face.

"Well, that's our in, 'Tachi-kun!" Kakashi seemed entirely too cheerful for someone who was talking about splitting up one teenage relationship, in order for two more to blossom outwards. Waaay too happy for a man who just exposed one of the last remaining members of a highly revered clan was _gay_ for a Jinchuuriki, no less. But, Kakashi was older, bored, and had recently broken off his friends-with-benefits relationship from Anko. While he felt it was too perverse for he himself to pursue the younger woman, he saw a lot of himself in Itachi, even more-so than he did in Sasuke, and he decided that Itachi was like an aimlessly floating boat, and that Sakura could be his anchor. With that thought in mind, he began to outline the rather in depth plan he'd been plotting since he saw Itachi genuinely smile at Sakura, when Sasuke wasn't looking.

"Alright men, the first step is..."


	2. Naruto Gets Creative

helllloooO!

This second chapter has two! of the steps in it, as mentioned before, there will be less than 12 chapters in this fic. It will still be long, maybe around 30k? that's what I'm shooting for, rn i'm at around 16k in my word docu so. SO yeah, this chapter was fun for me, the interactions were interesting, the characterization was fun for me. I know that there's a LOT of plain ole OOCness, but it's all in jest!

This chapter contains an overly interested!Kakashi, a trying not to care!Itachi, a Number One Unpredictable Ninja!Naruto a concerned!Sasuke and a battered!Sakura.

ALSO, thank u to **somebodylost** for pointing out that my character tags weren't active! And thank u to everyone who's already reviewed this fic! I do have a few other fics, if y'all are at all interested, you can check them out.

please remember to review/favorite if you'd like to see more of this!

One of those slightly serious moments is ahead, so beware!

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Step One: Seeds of Distrust (Other wise known as, Naruto is Gay, and so is Sasuke!)

Naruto observed his two best friends as they strolled through the market, the constant drone of Kakashi's voice in his ear making him anxious. This was not a usual mission, at least not one he was well versed in.

 _"This part calls for subtlety, class, refinement. In other words, if Itachi, myself, or pretty much any other Shinobi of this village were given this task, it would likely work just fine. However, you're Sasuke's secret love-"_ (Naruto had flushed and shifted at that, his eyes taking a dreamy sort of appearance.) _"-So it has to be you."_

Naruto had protested frantically, but the flicker of desperation in Itachi's eyes had softened him somewhat. He had a soft spot for his best friends older brother, and he wasn't sure why, but he felt like Itachi definitely deserved to be happy. Perhaps it was the fact that Itachi had tried his hardest to shield Sasuke from the horror that was the Council, perhaps it was the fact that Itachi had planned his entire life after the massacre to lead to his death, giving his tortured brother a chance at life again. The plan had failed miserably, but Naruto liked to think that some plans were okay to fail, especially now that Itachi was on his way to mental recovery, the brothers leaning on each other every step of the way. However, somehow, while she was helping them, Sakura had driven a wedge between them unknowingly.

Naruto still hadn't figured out why Sasuke had plead with Sakura for a date, wasn't sure what caused him to distrust Itachi so much that he took Sakura from him in the most effective way he knew how. At first Naruto had been so incredibly angry with his friend, that he hadn't even considered _why_ he was so mad at his long time rival and best friend. He blamed it, in the beginning, on the fact that after about two days, Sakura seemed absolutely miserable, and Sasuke wasn't faring any better, it seemed. According to a freshly broken up with Ino, she had stayed at Sasuke's house two nights in a row, and apparently, Sasuke couldn't get a hard-on to save his life. After studying the two of them for a few more days, and sniffing them quite a bit, he decided this was true, unfortunately. They didn't smell like sex, Sakura smelled like irritation and disappointment, and Sasuke stank of humiliation, the kind you got when you couldn't get it up for the hottest girl anyone in the village knew.

It had taken Naruto all of a Friday night off and one erotic dream to understand that he wasn't just angry with his teme for making Sakura-chan miserable, but because Sasuke had efficiently made _him_ miserable. He had always craved for Sasuke to acknowledge him, as a Shinobi, as a friend, and now he wished, longed, _pined_ for him to acknowledge him as a man, as a romantic and sexual being. He wasn't sure when he'd tumbled into loving his opposite, but now that he'd recognized and accepted his feelings, they'd been burning in his chest for the past two and a half weeks as he watched his two best friends drive each other to an awkward insanity.

Now, he watched from a roof top perch, Kakashi's words of advice droning in his ear. He understood that his sensei believed this was the best way, but he decided that he wasn't called the Number One Unpredictable Ninja for nothing, and jumped down from the rooftop, landing right on top of Sasuke. Kakashi was hissing loudly in his ear, Itachi occasionally piping in as though snatching the mouth piece and speaking calmly into it. Naruto was too focused on the fact that Sasuke was pressed tight into the ground underneath him, before the Uchiha finally reacted, rolling underneath him and going to strike him. Sasuke froze though, realizing that Naruto's face was incredibly close to his.

They could both hear Sakura screaming at them, but it was like they were underwater, her voice was so muffled. The busy market seemed to fall away as blue and black eyes stared into each other, and without so much as a thrust or a grind, Naruto felt himself grow hard. Sasuke's eyes widened, and he pressed his lips together, but it was too late and Naruto could feel Sasuke getting hard underneath him. Naruto wiggled, seemingly to get off of Sasuke, who let out a quiet groan and a grunt, letting his head smack into the ground as he attempted to control himself.

It felt like they were in that position for eons, when in actuality it had been less than a minute since Naruto had smacked into him from above. A triumphant smirk appeared on Naruto's face, and he ground his dick into his best friends swiftly, before climbing off of him and apologizing boisterously, his usual, goofy grin on his face. Sakura, who's face was pink, stared at Sasuke, and then at his crotch for a very long moment, before she turned on her heel, and walked away from the aroused male who was clamoring to his feet. Naruto had never seen Sasuke clamor, but he'd also never witnessed him trying to get up with a hard on.

"SAKURA! Sakura! Wait!" Sasuke glared harshly at Naruto, before sprinting after his girlfriend. Normally, Naruto would've felt embarrassed and rejected, but at the whoop of victory from behind the stand on the side of the road, he grinned even wider.

"Mission success'ttebayo!" Kakashi high fived him, and Yamato gave both men a long, suffering look, while Itachi and Sai remained impassive.

"Naruto-kun, shall we attempt not to shame the Uchiha name in the middle of the market again?" If Sasuke's voice was satin and sandpaper, then Itachi's was silk covered in flowing chocolate. Naruto would've probably lost it in his pants, if it weren't for the fact that while Itachi was a beautiful specimen, he was no Sasuke-teme, at least in his eyes. He wondered if that's how Sakura felt all the time now, and stared at Itachi with wide, unguarded eyes.

"Yosh! I'll remember that the next time I jump on top of your brother." Sai snickered at that, before voicing his thoughts out loud.

"I wonder how Sakura is handling all this?" Kakashi was on the roof top, masking his chakra to follow his old students before anyone had anything to say about it.

Kakashi, Naruto and Itachi could hear the argument before the other two, but soon enough, Sakura's voice was loud enough for all five men to listen to.

"You can't keep a hard for more than a millisecond with me, but you look at Naruto for 30 seconds and you're up and raring to go? What a fucking joke, Uchiha." She spit his last name out at him, and Itachi winced. It sounded more like an insult than a name and he wanted to stroke her hair and calm her down, more than anything, but he had to remain here and impassive as he watched the girl he had come to love argue with his younger sibling.

"Sakura, it's not like that and you know it!" Sasuke was frustrated, his annoyance spilling over into his face, something that surprised his older brother. He was never surprised when Naruto got a reaction out of his little brother, the Kyuubi container had a sort of skill for inspiring emotions out of stoics, but to see Sasuke so visibly shaken by Sakura was enlightening. It wasn't just Naruto, it appeared, but his most cherished female also.

"How am I to know anything from you? You never FUCKING tell me anything! You asked me out just so we could sit in silence! You can't stand me to touch you. You fucking cringe! You CRINGE!" She wilted suddenly, stopping in the middle of the empty path, surrounded by trees for the boys to hide in.

"I know...I know I'm not the prettiest kunoichi, and I know I'm harsh and abrasive, but damnit Sasuke, I'm trying for you." She was choked up now, turning her face away from him. Her voice was thick as she continued rambling, her hands gesturing as though to get her point across when her voice failed.

"I'm trying really hard to be better and more feminine but it's hard for me, I'm surrounded by _men_ all the time and I've gotten used to being not quite girly and not quite masculine and _I'm_ _sorry_ I'm so unappealing to you." She hiccuped, hiding her face completely, before she let out a broken sob and took off towards her tiny apartment.

A breeze blew through the trees, containing five silent, aggrieved men. There was a misstep somewhere along the way, where they'd all forgotten that Sakura _was,_ in fact, a woman, and an incredibly insecure one at that. It had started at a young age, when she'd been teased and put down for her forehead, of all things, and it had carried into Sasuke's rejections, before coming around to Kakashi's neglect. So many people spent time comparing her beauty to Tsunade's, and Ino's that she'd forgotten along the way that she was, in her own rights, very beautiful. The people who weren't comparing her to them, were comparing her battle strengths to the men who surrounded her, a Copy Nin with three times the experience and a cheat sheet with his Sharingan, a genius Sharingan wielder, two members of Anbu and a demon container. Sakura had surpassed her Shishou, a sannin, but she still felt like lower than low, and it had everything to do with the people around her. And now, her boyfriend, the boy she'd spent the better part of her life pining for, found her repulsive to the point that he couldn't even fuck her, but he could get hard while pinned under another man.

"Itachi, you can come out of the fucking tree, I know you're here." Sasuke sounded furious, more so than usual. Itachi seemingly glided from the tree, landing lightly in front of his brother.

"How are you this afternoon, little brother?" Sasuke looked like he wanted to wring Itachi's neck, but there was an emotion in his Aniki's eyes that seemed close to concern.

"I...I've hurt Sakura, and I'm not sure how to fix it?"

"Sasuke, are you having trouble...performing for your girlfriend?" Itachi had stopped calling Sakura by her name since her and Sasuke had began dating, unable to say it without a tinge of disappointment. Sasuke's head turned so fast that Itachi was worried it would keep going and perform an exorcist style 360, but instead, his brother had fixed him with a furious glare.

"Yes! Yes, okay? I can't get it up with Sakura and I have no idea why. She's the hottest kunoichi in this village, arguably within the Five Nations, with the cutest ass I've ever seen, and yet nothing about her gets me going!" He was angry and hissing, much like a soaked cat, and Itachi wanted to smirk.

"Have you two discussed it, besides the...scene a few minutes ago?" Sasuke was pink in the face, but he shook his head reluctantly.

"Hn. Well, have you considered that maybe, you aren't attracted to anyone sexually? A lot of Shinobi men struggle with asexuality, or demisexuality. It's hard to trust a partner enough to become sexually aroused, much less engage with them. When I was in the Akatsuki, I didn't have sex for years, terrified that the woman would be an enemy, sent to finish me off. I was so distrusting of women, I was completely turned off by them. I'm not inclined towards men, and even if I was, I imagine it would be similar." Kakashi wanted to fall out of the tree, Itachi was speaking bullshit! He'd never struggled in the bed room department, but then again, he was a self-proclaimed lecher. It was a reasonable angle though, and he wanted to applaud Itachi for his quick thinking.

"I don't...I don't think so, 'Tachi." He sounded so resigned, and a little embarrassed. "I can get hard still, just not for the right person...or gender." He sounded so unsure of himself that Itachi felt the overwhelming urge to crush his brother to him, he understood that being gay was unusual to many ninja's, but it wasn't unheard of, or even uncommon. Deidara had been bisexual, and the play between him and Sasori had been stomach turning, but endearing almost.

"I think...I think it's because she makes me so damn nervous! She's the most attractive girl I've ever met, perfectly proportioned, everything is hand sized like she was made to be a sexual object and it's terrifying, Itachi. Everything she does could be taken as sexual, and I have no clue how to approach it! She's strong, so damn strong and smart enough to keep up with not just me, but with you and Kakashi and the fucking Hokage and I'm terrified of her!"

Naruto wanted to smack his (hopefully) future lover for being so dense, but instead he remained crouched, his chakra masked completely.

"You're _scared_ of Sakura-san?" He almost choked on her name, but it made it out of his mouth as flawlessly at the rest of the sentence, and he was almost proud of himself.

"Maybe? I don't know. All I know is today I got a boner because my best friend, who is NOT a girl, no matter what that damn Oiroke no Jutsu suggests, and I'm incredibly...I'm so goddamn confused!" Naruto smirked triumphantly, and Kakashi raised an eyebrow at his grin.

"Hm. Maybe consider your sexuality more in depth. In the mean-time, at least try to apologize to Sakura before tomorrow, yes?" Sasuke grunted, before him and Itachi began to walk to their compound, silence between the two of them. After they were out of sight, Kakashi began planning once again.

"Okay, we need to boost Sakura's self esteem, while also pushing the plan more. I think I know the best way, but I didn't wanna send her on a mission alone with Itachi for at least another four steps..." Yamato was staring at his Senpai with both dread, and a little admiration for his ability to be so completely out of his goddamned mind.

"Or, we could just go and comfort her? Without telling her we know what happened?" Kakashi suddenly snapped his fingers, as though he'd had an ah-ha! Moment.

"I know just the thing to do! Let's go comfort Sakura-chan, without her knowing we know that her boyfriend just upset her!" Yamato sweat-dropped, before Sai patted his shoulder consolingly, there were sometimes no words to describe the copy-nin. Naruto sighed, before taking off towards Sakura's house with a stoic freak, a man made of wood and a delusional sensei in tow.

 _Step Six (other wise known as, oh shit, did Sakura just cheat on Sasuke? aka, Oh shit, thing's aren't going in the correct order at all!)_

Sakura had always been attracted to men who were little to no good for her. Sasuke had been her first real crush, and then she'd had a crush on _Naruto,_ of all people. When she'd developed a weird fondness towards her sensei, she stopped being surprised at her heart and it's seemingly insane decisions. However, when Uchiha Itachi had first made eye contact with her, albeit a little fuzzy, seeing as he was almost blind, she knew that her heart had taken it's final plunge over the deep-end of crazy town. He was tall and dark and handsome and so damn mysterious, that it made her heart race and her skin bead with sweat. She'd requested a physical immediately after, only to be told by her own Shishou that she was aroused, not suffering from an unknown ailment. She'd cuffed her apprentice over the head, wrote her a prescription for a new birth control and sent her on her way.

Six months. Six long, torturous, aroused, difficult months spent in Uchiha Itachi's presence.

She'd never felt so flustered in her entire life, and the bastard had to have known, surely. Her glazed, half lidded eyes had to have given her away. Or maybe her lips, a shade or ten darker than usual from all the frustrated biting, or maybe the tell-tale flush on her face.

It didn't matter, he had to have known. She'd prayed to every Kami ever that he had even a small smidgen of her feelings for him, and if he did, could he maybe just show them? Like, at all? He was worse than Sasuke, although he spoke more fluently that monosyllabic grunts, his eyes and face were even more guarded, and she couldn't read him at all. It stressed her out, she prided herself on her ability to read a situation, but then again, Itachi wasn't an opponent or a diplomat hiding something, he was a person, a _man._ It vexed her to know that she couldn't pick him apart and lay his innards out flat. He wasn't a new illness or poison, no, he was much more dangerous that anything she'd ever came in contact with, including Orochimaru, and she was fucking in love with him! To make matters worse, if that were possible, Sasuke had asked her out, and at first she'd been so angry with him she couldn't even see straight. How dare he, after all these years of unrequited love, suddenly decide she was worth the time?

But in the end, her childhood crush, and fear of her true feelings won out, and now she was in a shitty, half-assed relationship that was the laughingstock of Konaha. Itachi hadn't made any indication that he disapproved of the relationship, and to be honest, it had hurt her more than the fact that Sasuke couldn't get a hard on for more than two minutes with her.

She sighed, glancing up at the moon from her position on her windowsill. It had been several hours since she'd fought with Sasuke, and instead of going to her shared apartment with Ino, she'd come to her old family home. She'd bought it in a streak of sentimentality, the hope that one day she'd have a reason to have a four bedroom family home. Her house had always been too large for her family, but they never left, hoping that their family would grow. Her mother had been mostly barren, Sakura had been a miracle, and her spoiled childhood had been the result of that. Her old bedroom remained unchanged, and she climbed off of her window perch, collapsing on the double bed with a pink duvet that had been her favorite place when she was younger. Her room had been beautifully decorated to match her namesake, and she'd never requested a change, the mural of the sakura tree stretching across her room was beautiful. She stared at the blossoms on her ceiling, and worried her lower lip between her teeth.

 _Was Sasuke...gay?_ It had always been a question in the back of her mind, something she'd only entertained when she'd tried her hardest to give up on him. It had sort of made sense, his first kiss had been Naruto, willing or not, and he'd never seemed too perturbed by that fact. He'd ran off with a weird snake pervert, never slept with his oh-so willing team mate. He'd asked her out on a whim, it seemed. While Itachi hadn't noticed her blushing and stammering, Sasuke had noticed at supersonic light speed, and he'd quickly rectified the problem. She'd believed (blindly) that it was because he saw his chance lessening, and he wanted to capture her quickly so she would stay with him, and didn't it all make sense anyways? She'd waited for him, six years almost, to come back for her, to be with her. They should be happy together, it should've came as easy as breathing to them. It had been fucking destiny, goddammit.

But, it wasn't easy, it was like trying to breathe underwater with a botched Jutsu, there were brief moments of reprieve, but mostly, they were drowning.

She hated it, and she found herself hating Sasuke for putting her in the situation, and hating her friends for not doing something about it. Why hadn't anyone smacked her yet, told her to face what was right in front of her? Sasuke had gotten a boner within seconds of Naruto landing on him in the market, and the other boy had been clearly aroused as well. She wondered, when Naruto had fallen for Sasuke, and whether he knew, or if all three of them were just as confused as the other.

A floorboard creaked in her room, and she was up in a defensive crouch before her sigh had finished leaving her lips. She relaxed immediately, staring into liquid black eyes.

"Uchiha-san!" She gasped, and winced, hating how breathless she sounded.

"Haruno-san." His voice was so damn deep, she felt as though it reverberated through her entire being. She flopped back down onto her bed, not particularly caring how he saw it. It didn't matter anyways, seeing as the Uchiha's all seemed to be unusually proper. Well, the two Uchiha's she knew had always been impeccable about their manners, especially towards women. The bed sagged slightly as Itachi sat on the end of it, placing his hand near her thigh, but not touching it. The heat from his hand was making her uncomfortable between her legs, but she refused to move away from him.

"Your team is searching for you, Haruno-san. Apparently you've been missing since you tackled Ino." She pressed the heels of her palms to her eyes, rubbing until stars showed up. She sat up, her shoulder brushing his.

"Yeah. Not surprised. Naruto definitely saw me earlier, I was at the market when he and Sasuke had an...interaction." Itachi hm-ed at her, brushing a lock of hair out of her face, almost distractedly. Her breath caught in her throat, he was _so close_ to her, she could make out the exhaustion under his eyes, his hyper-pronounced tear troughs could conceal true exhaustion sometimes. She could see tiny pinpricks in his face, where his facial hair should grow in, but did not. His hair was bound as usual, but two strands framing his face were free, and they were brushing against her bare arms. Her lower lip quivered slightly, and she fought the urge again to move away from him. His breath fanned over her face, and with a small groan, she couldn't hold it back anymore, her tenuous grasp on self control snapping. She closed the distance between them without much of a second though, kissing him soundly on the mouth.

Outside of the window, Naruto smacked a hand over his mouth to keep from screaming bloody murder. Kakashi looked faint, and Yamato's mouth had fallen open completely. Sai was frantically sketching, making a comment about a wedding gift for the two.

Inside however, Itachi froze, his shock apparent in his body language. Sakura was undeterred, or maybe she just didn't notice his reaction, her lips pushing more fervently against his. Finally, his hands came to rest on her half bare shoulders, sliding down her arms, before kissing her back. She made a delighted sound in the back of her throat, gripping the duvet beneath her tightly in her fingers. He rested his hands on top of her, and lifted them from the comforter, as though to let her know she could, in fact, touch him. She did so immediately, her hands tangling in his soft hair, yanking it free of the tie.

A surprised sound bubbled from his throat to her mouth, his mouth opening long enough for her tongue to slip into his, not truly on purpose, but not quite an accident. The second her tongue touched his, his tight reined self control snapped, and he shoved his arms around her slim body, hauling her onto his lap to straddle him, laying back. She let out a shocked shriek, before he recaptured her tongue between his teeth, lightly, as not to hurt her, but firm enough to draw her lips back to his. A low moan reverberated between the two of them as Sakura kissed him back ferociously, almost angrily.

She is angry, dammit, and through a mess of hormones, she understands the implications of these actions.

Itachi _did_ notice her lusting after him, falling for him, he'd just chosen not to act on them, but why? When his fingers idly stroked her breast over her shirt, she arched, before drawing away from him quickly. She grinned down at him, and he was stunned momentarily by the effect it had on him.

"You're _hard_ Uchiha-san." She giggled after she said it, before diving into his neck, kissing it and inhaling his scent like she was being paid to do so. Itachi shoved her off quickly, his face coloring. He adjusted himself in his pants, because dammit, he was hard, and after just a bit of intense kissing, no heavy petting at all? She seemed entirely too happy, way too triumphant.

"That's unkind, Sakura." She shivered, and his mouth went dry when he noticed how hard her nipples were through her shirt.

"Don't say my name, please." Her voice was thick with arousal, and suddenly, Itachi finds himself pinning her down, as though possessed.

"Sa-ku-ra." It's just a whisper in her ears, but she clutches him, shuddering against him violently as he kisses her behind her ear, sucking for a moment, before moving on. He doesn't suck or nip hard enough to mark her, as though he's forgotten she's a medic who can heal the offensive marks away, but she doesn't comment on it because he's there with _her,_ her Itachi, her bed, her lips he's kissing, her breasts he's trailing his finger tips over. It's her who's gotten him aroused enough to pin her down and ravage her nearly senseless, but she's not so senseless that she doesn't hear the crack of a twig outside her window. There's a muffled curse, and she's shoved Itachi off of her so fast that she's surprised he doesn't fly out of the damn thing.

"KAKASHI SENSEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIII!"


	3. Ino Lends an Ear

I SUCK! I have no excuse for not uploading, other than that I actually suck ass. I have over half of this story already written out and I just... suck. lmao.

There is a gratuitous girl talk scene in this chapter, and it's both ooc and very in character? I feel like while Sakura and Ino wouldn't be as dramatic as they're written in this scene, there's NO way they wouldn't gossip and have sleepovers ya know? Like thats my HC that Sakura and Ino are both gossipy af, Sakura's just better at hiding it. Anyways, their interaction is basically me w my bff's when something dramatic happens to me. I'm 100x this dramatic IRL sorrynotsorry.

BUT, oocness aside, I rlly loved writing this chapter it made me giggle a lot and I love Sakura and Ino's friendship a LOT. I feel like Ino would be very encouraging to Sakura about chasing her dreams (aka itachi's peen)

anyways, please review! So stoked I've gotten six reviews and almost 500 reads already on this fic? That's crazy for a fanfic that didn't have character tags on it for a week, so thank u guys so much!

I have the second installment of the LOP fics, and it's a v steamy Sasusaku, so I might post it in a few days if this gets a few reviews!

* * *

 _Step two: Convince Sakura that she deserves better (YAMANAKA INO ON THE SCENE!)_

"Okay, calm down forehead freak."

"I FUCKED up. I'm not excited you ass, I'm just pacing!" Ino stared at Sakura, who was currently jeopardizing their deposit with the hole she was wearing into their carpet.

"I kissed Itachi." Ino muffles a squeal of excitement, if only to insure that she lived to see the next day, if Sakura's expression is anything to indicate.

"I mean pig, I jumped him. Like literally, I threw myself at him. And he just _let me!_ This is absolutely insane. In one fucking day, my boyfriend pops a woody over another dude and I mack his older brother with not one qualm, only to be caught by my old Sensei, who apparently has a thing for voyeurism?" Ino sighed, relieved that Naruto had given her the quick and dirty of the situation only moments before Sakura burst through their apartment door, looking far more harried than she had a right to.

"You're really surprised that Kakashi is a pervert? I could've told you that my damn self-"

"INO! Not the fucking point! Sasuke is probably gay, and I cheated on him with fucking Itachi!"

"It's about damn time your life got interesting again. After Sasuke and Itachi came home it was like all the excitement in the village for the year went to that one event, I mean really, this is great Sakura." Sakura gave Ino a withering glance, before plopping onto the floor.

"Get the sake. And the goddamned ice-cream." Ino's eyes widened for a half second, ice cream meant a serious mental breakdown, before retrieving the items.

"Okay, forehead, spill it all." Ino didn't need to know all the details, she'd gotten the Quicknotes version earlier, but she craved the little details, especially in situations like this.

"So, first thing today we all went to go train, and for some reason, Itachi was with Sasuke, and Kakashi and Yamato decided it was too hot for us to effectively train, barring the fact that we should be able to fight in all situations, they decided we should just go get frozen drinks. So Sasuke is being his usual, uncomfortable self, and I'm being my usual ignoring it self. And Itachi is staring at me so hard it felt like he was gonna drill a fucking hole into my head and then Sasuke makes us leave, and we get like fifty feet away before he picks a fight with me, and then I see you being all flirty with Itachi, which, fuck you, by the way." Ino gave an innocent smile, taking a shot of sake before biting into a spoonful of ice cream.

"So then obviously we hung out today and you were perverted, and also, I really think you and Sai should give it another shot, he showed more expressions on his face today when you showed up than he has since you two broke up. You really did a number on him, Ino." The mischievous smile disappeared off her face, and Sakura almost regretted bringing up the artist. No one truly knew what had happened in the end, just that Ino was apparently a 'crazy bitch' and Sai was an 'emotionally retarded prick'.

However, Sakura had been friends with Ino for too long to believe some half-crocked bullshit like that, and she was pretty positive her friend was just terrified of the thought of long term commitment.

"Whatever, billboard brow. Just get to the steamy stuff." Sakura shot her friend a slightly hazy glare, she'd downed a majority of the sake by now, her eyes unfocused and glassy.

"Well, I met up with Sasuke again later and we went to the market. It wasn't so bad, we were just kinda walking through, looking at things. He got serious though, and started talking to me about our relationship and how he felt about his ED. God, it was awful. He was just talking about it like it was okay and like I haven't seen him with wood in the mornings. I mean seriously, Ino, it's been the worst three weeks of my life with this kid and he starts addressing it in the middle of the street while we're looking at custom kunai! So then, Naruto dive bombs him, which isn't so unusual, it's Naruto, after all." Ino snickered, this was when things were gonna get good and juicy.

"So Naruto jumps him, for lack of better words, and they get all tangled up, and Sasuke is underneath him, but instead of trying to KILL HIM like I expect, he just stares at him. And I was screaming at them for causing a ruckus, I hate when they act like kids, and they're just like...gazing into each others eyes. Naruto just sort of...wiggles! Wiggles, like he's gonna get up and lo and fucking behold SASUKE POPS A BONER!" Sakura's face down on her coffee table now, groaning out the rest of the story. Ino patted her friends back awkwardly. She wasn't crying, just incredibly embarrassed and confused.

"So he gets hard, and Naruto just gets up and grins and apologizes like HE doesn't have a huge fucking boner, and then LEAVES! I, obviously, dramatically walk away, because I was really upset and angry and more than a little confused. Sasuke runs after me and I blew up on him and I was crying so hard and he just let me walk away from him! So, I go to my house, you know, the family home?" Ino nods her consent, and Sakura continues.

"So I go home and I wallow for a few hours, and I think I fell asleep at one point. So, I'm Uchiha-brooding out the open window, and I go to lay on my old bed, cause my room makes me feel...better for some reason. Right as I'm settling in for some more angst, Uchiha fucking Itachi shows up." Ino gasped at this part, leaning forward eagerly. "So he sits super close next to me, after I flop back down, and he was _so close_ to me Ino, I could hardly fucking see straight, and tells me that my team is searching for me, that they're worried for me. So I told him I saw Naruto already today, but I leave it at that, and something just takes over me and I kiss him. Like, full on, lunging at him, straight on the mouth. I mean, it wasn't just my fault, at least not in my opinion. You know I had a weird crush on him for the longest time...and he was being so soft and gentle and he brushed at my hair and I just lost it! And he let me! And then he kissed me back! Ino! He kissed. Me. Back." Ino is more than stunned by this, because Sakura's face is bright red and she's angry now, on her feet and stomping around the room again.

"After all those months of me trying to drop hints, and him not doing a damn thing, he kisses me back now? After I'm already dating his dumbass brother? God Ino, you wouldn't believe how he kisses, either. It was like being set on fire and dunked into ice water at the same damn time, my whole body was tingling. It was like an outer body experience. His hair was so soft..." She trailed off, staring into space dreamily, touching her fingers to her mouth briefly. She made a frustrated noise, similar to a growl, reaching up and tugging at her pink locks. "God... Ino...Kakashi saw us."

Ino sat straight up, and realized...that this was step two, but step six had already happened? She had no clue how to proceed, so she followed the original master-plan, like any other good ninja would.

"So what? Kakashi's a huge pervert anyways, he was probably too busy yanking it to realize it was the wrong, but better, Uchiha." Sakura gasped, floundering for a few moments, before steam rolling on.

"That's rude and disrespectful! Kakashi is our elder and he's my team leader. Pervert or not, don't say things like that! And anyways, Sasuke isn't that bad, he just has a disorder." Ino snorted so hard that Sakura was worried for her health and safety, until Ino started talking again.

"Are you serious? Sasuke's only disorder is that he'd rather have Naruto spread his cheeks than he spread yours. That boy is G-A-Y with capital letters. I mean shit, I don't really blame him, Naruto is one of the hottest fucking guys in this village, but you're the hottest girl in this village and I can't wrap my brain around this. I can't believe you are letting this happen! You maintained your virginity so he could be gay? Girl, you deserve some of Itachi-san! I mean, seriously, not trying to knock your gay-boy, but Itachi is H-O-T. For every gay moment Sasuke has, Itachi redeems it with that...smolder...you know the one." Sakura nodded sagely, because she was aware of the smolder.

"Now, enough about your gay boyfriend, lets talk about his hot older brother. Let's compare, ne? What's the difference between their kisses?"

"Well...Sasuke sort of kisses like he and Naruto fight. It's always intense and overwhelming and sometimes it's good, but mostly it's like he's trying to eat my face off! I feel like he wants me to fight with him, and even though I'm very dominating in every aspect, there's something about a guy pinning you to the wall and taking over that's so...so fucking hot!" Ino agreed wholeheartedly, and she wished that Sai had taken the control like that. She sighed wistfully, giving Sakura a vaguely envious look.

"Hmm, tell me about Itachi-san, that's what I really wanna hear."  
"Well...his lips were a little dry but they were very soft and he kissed me like he was starving for me. I mean for real, Ino-pig it was like...no other kiss I've ever had. His tongue was warm and wet but it wasn't unpleasant. It was like drowning but in the most pleasant way possible. Pig, that's not the best part!" Ino eagerly sat forwards and Sakura fell over in a pile of pillows, giggling madly.

"He got hard! As a fucking rock Ino!" Giggling even harder, she kicked her feet into the air, rolling backwards. Ino couldn't help but join her, so pleased that this part of the plan was running so smoothly.

"Sakura, I still don't get why you don't dump Sasuke and date Itachi! Jeez girl, what more are you waiting for?" Sakura faltered, putting her chin on her hand.

"Hmm, I'm not sure Pig. But Sasuke is with me, and until he breaks it off, or gives me a reason to do so, I'm not going to leave him." Ino groaned, flopping away from her friend.

"You're so dense forehead. Sasuke will keep dating you, even if it makes everyone including the two of you, miserable; if only to spite Itachi." Sakura's brow furrowed, and she frowned deeply.

"Plus, you're in love with Itachi, and even if Sasuke does have feelings towards you, it's unfair to lie to him about your feelings for him. Be an adult, Sakura. Anyways, I have to go, Choji and Shika want to meet for drinks." Ino dropped a kiss to her best friends wide forehead, ruffling her hair before leaving. Sakura's face screwed up, but she lifted a limp hand to wave at her friend, before resuming her brooding.

She, Haruno Sakura, had _kissed_ the beautiful and enigmatic Uchiha Itachi, and it had been better than all her wildest dreams.

But something niggled at the back of her brain, something that felt that she was...missing something.

There was nothing she hated more than not knowing things, and with that, she started connecting dots. Her team captain had just happened to be at her childhood home, right as Itachi kissed her, which made little to no sense, as did the fact that Itachi's chakra presence had been made apparent as she'd ran off from Sasuke that afternoon. It also made no sense, why Naruto would've interrupted her and Sasuke that day and not sparred with the other boy. He'd just...attacked and bounded away cheerfully.

Yes, something was up, and Sakura would be damned if she didn't figure the trap out before it slammed shut on her.

 _Step Three: Shirtless, Shameless, and Sexy, the Shinobi way_

"Itachi, stop being so wily, it's as simple as being in the process of leaving the bathroom after a steamy shower right as she gets to the complex!" Kakashi felt less than amused as he attempted to assure the younger man of the third step of their plan. Itachi resisted the urge to roll his eyes, although the need to relieve himself of his stress was almost overwhelming, and so he settled with a pinch to the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah, 'Tachi, all kunoichi's are suckers for strong men in tiny towels with sweat and/or water dripping down their flawless abs. It's science, practically." Sai made a smart comment about Naruto being a 'fag', which set off a frenzy of movement between the two men. Rolling his eyes, Itachi excused himself.

Walking out to the back training grounds, he divested himself of his shirt there, knowing he had at least an hour before Sakura showed up, looking for his little brother. He would practice, clothe himself fully, and then speak to the younger girl. He had no wish to continue manipulating her, or his brother.

Although, it had been rather...arousing to see her take out the brunt of her anger on her perverted sensei, it had been a harsh wake up call to the fact that Itachi was being an idiot.

He was a missing nin, one of the most feared Shinobi's this world had to offer, and some tiny pink haired girl had shattered all semblance of self control he had.

Moving through his familiar kata's, Itachi felt his pulse slow, his breath even. He may not be able to truly take on missions at the moment, but staying in shape, especially with his sickness cured, mattered to him.

Sakura wove her way through the back entrance of Sasuke and Itachi's compound, guessing that Sasuke would either be training, showering, or meditating at this time of day. She was thirty minutes early, but she was so anxious about seeing him that she went on, suspecting he wouldn't be so busy that he wouldn't want to see her. As she advanced through the compound, she smelled a distinctive burn smell, the kind she associated with the Uchiha's Katon Jutsu's, the smell of burnt chakra was significantly different than other smoke smells; so she changed directions to the training grounds. Crashing through the trees and into the clearing, she called out for Sasuke loudly.

However, it was a shirtless Itachi who greeted her, frozen in the middle of a hand sign. Sakura felt like her legs would give out at any time as she appraised the half-clothed shinobi in front of her. Itachi looked startled, an expression she'd only seen once or twice on his usually stoic face.

Itachi was every thing she'd ever wanted to look at in a young man. His torso was lean and trim, with the right amount of definition that she could see his abdominal muscles without him flexing, his shoulders broad and his waist and hips tapered off nicely. He had beautiful, cut hipbones, leading into his pants. There was no hair on him, other than the trail leading to his pants, and she briefly wondered what the texture of his hair would feel like underneath her tongue. His hair was pulled back in his customary low ponytail, but several strands had escaped and hung around his face like a silk curtain, sticking to the damper parts of his collarbone and pectoral muscles.

Sakura swallowed, and it felt like she had the handle of a kunai blocking her throat, her mouth impossibly dry.

"Uchiha-san, I-I was ju-just looking for Sas-what are you doing?!" Her voice escalated as Itachi walked towards her, and she backed away as fast as he approached.

"You found me instead." He was on her in the amount of time it took to flicker out and then into existence. His hand plunged into her hair, balling it at the nape of her neck to yank her forwards, before he crashed their lips together. Gasping at his audacity, Sakura pressed her hands against his chest, with every intention of shoving him off of her, but somehow her hands got lost on the expanse of his chest, scrabbling up his shoulders, her arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him closer to her. She kissed him back fiercely, her frustration and desire poured into the embrace, her fingers gripping his hair towards the base of his neck almost cruelly tight. Itachi didn't seem to mind, he just kissed her harder, a growl rumbling through his chest. Itachi's tongue flickered out against her mouth, and Sakura's lips parted with little hesitation, sighing into his mouth as he ruthlessly plundered hers. Itachi seemed starved for the affection, and his intensity should've frightened Sakura, but instead it spurred her on, and she kissed him slowly, gently, bringing his passion down to a decent level. She moaned softly into his mouth as he gripped her hips, pressing closer to her.

"Sakura...oh Sakura." He sounded reverent, the whispered words more like a prayer than anything. He gave her fast, dry kisses all over her face, her eyelids, the tip of her nose, her flushed cheeks.

"I wish...oh I wish." His voice was choked now, and his face was burrowed into her throat, his hair surrounding them like a safety curtain, tickling over her collarbone and arms. She held him close to her, as if she understood how he felt, the desperation and the unfettered longing he felt for her. He pressed his lips wetly to a spot behind her ear that made her shiver against him.

The sound of a door slamming alerted both of them to their surroundings, and within moments Itachi was gone from her comforting embrace, retying his hair as Sasuke walked out onto the training grounds.

There was a strange, echoing silence that seemed to envelope the three of them, and it was shattered as Naruto strolled out after Sasuke, his face pink and his eyes bright. The genuine smile on his face dropped as soon as he saw Sakura, and a strange look took over his face.

Sakura had been schooling her face to indifference since the first time Sasuke tried to kill her, and she employed this skill instantly.

"Hm. Just the two people I wanted to see." Her tone was sharp, her eyes calculating, and for one second, Naruto allowed a panic filled glance at Itachi to slip through, but it was a second too long, and Sakura whipped around, pink hair flying. Itachi's face remained impassive, as always, but something in his eyes made Sakura narrow hers.

Then, a slow, sly smile over took her face, and although Itachi had faced off against thousands of more formidable foe, a shiver crept up his spine at the nasty visage she'd taken on.

"Actually...Just Naruto. Come with me, yes?" Naruto didn't have much of a choice, for she'd snatched him away from Sasuke, flinging him over her shoulder, and taking off through the compound within moments.


End file.
